30 Minutes
by Sono Kurushiitokinokamidanomi
Summary: Mamma, papa, forgive me...


30 Minutes

**30 Minutes**

Ryoko sighed. What a day this had turned out to be. With everything going on how could she even think about eating? She looked at the red-haired boy sitting across from her shoveling down noodles like it was the first thing he had eaten in years. She rolled her eyes.

"I've gotta go." She said, almost to herself. She heaved her bag onto her shoulder and turned to leave.

"Hey, take care okay?" The boy said hastily, looking up from his lunch. His emerald eyes shone with curiosity, but he decided not to ask.

"Yeah." She breathed, "Sure Kousuke." She whipped around and disappeared into the mass of people.

_Out of sight, out of mind. _

Ryoko passed through the halls as if she was only a dream, a memory of what once was. She was in a crowded room screaming and no one even looked up. Desperately trying to get out of the shell that pinned her down. She glided up the stairs like a ghost. Only a single entity noticed her. Its black enveloped her and bled onto her clothes as she passed. Turning around to see, she was met with black eyes like lumps of coal inside an empty skull. A grin spread across the blood red lips.

_Out of time, to decide._

Racing down the hallway, she whizzed past the globs of people. In one moment of sanity, she screeched to a halt outside her next class and dropped her bag, then continued. Ryoko burst through the doors that held her like chains and streaked across the parking lot, her feet pounding on the pavement.

_Do we run, should I hide? For the rest of my life._

Grabbing hold of brick, she rocketed around a corner. The sharp rock split her hand and blood dripped onto the pavement, creating a trail for the black to follow.

_Can we fly? Do I stay?_

Ryoko's eyes widened as a thought of the boy she left flew through her mind. She whipped her head around just as the figure glided around the corner. 'If I could just lose him.' she thought. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a group of people loitering by the doors, like an animal grazing. They seemed as one. Perfect.

_We could loose, we could fail._

Ryoko took a sharp turn around another curve and slid to a fast walk as she neared the beast. Gliding right into it she silently slipped through the doors.

_In the moment it takes._

She walked as calmly as possible through the cafeteria and the sea of people. He wouldn't take the chance here. As she passed him, she glanced in Kousuke's direction hoping her eyes could tell him. He nodded in the brief second she could see him through the crowd. She saw his crimson hair disappear the other way. She knew where they would meet again.

_To make plans, or mistakes._

Ryoko glided up the stairs, hoping to look anonymous, and turned the way she had come. Her eyes darted from side to side as she started to run.

_30 minutes, the blink of an eye._

He was behind her. She tried to speed up but he was too fast. Grabbing her arm, he shoved her into another hall.

_30 minutes to alter our lives._

As she headed for the floor, Ryoko kicked up hitting him right in the chest. She wrenched her hand from his death-like grasp and skidded along the carpet as she tried to get away.

_30 minutes to make up my mind._

Kousuke hiked through the thongs of people. He could hardly keep his mind sane. What was that look? He whirled through the possibilities, spiraling downward.

_30 minutes to finally decide._

Kousuke split open the crowd as he came to the edge. He ran down the edge of the school and to a large wood building. Pausing only once to look around, he slipped behind it.

Ryoko skated around the corner grabbing the side and wincing as blood hit rock again. She ran through the darkness to the light at the end. She slid down the railing, past more people and slunk silently through the doors to the outside world.

_30 minute to whisper your name._

She ran along the same path warmed only a moment ago by the same urgency. Seeing the figure close behind, she dashed right past the building. Just as she did, a hand reached out and grabbed her, twisting his hand around her throat. She tried to scream but found a hand over her mouth.

"Ryoko, its me." Came a whisper from behind her struggle. She froze and slowly snaked around to face him.

"Kousuke," She breathed, falling into him. "Ohmigod…"

_30 minutes to shoulder the blame. _

"I'm sorry." She whispered into his shirt.

"I know," He returned. "No time." She nodded curtly and started to turn around. He stopped her and turned her back around in his arms.

_30 minutes of bliss…_

"Be more careful, okay?" He said as their eyes locked.

She paused, frozen by his glance, and nodded. He reached for her shirt tail and pulled it up.

_30 lies._

Grabbing the gun out of her belt, he aimed.

"No…" She whispered.

_30 minutes to finally decide._

He fired, the shot sending ripples through the air. It ripped through the man's chest on its way into the wall behind him. Kousuke grabbed Ryoko and shot out of the crevice and into the parking lot. They bolted through the cars and back toward the school. Silent tears streaked Ryoko's face as she stared into the back of Kousuke's head as they ran.

_To decide, to decide, to decide…_


End file.
